LETTERS
The Age
Monday December 7, 2009
Cinema chains let down the disabledHOYTS, Village, Greater Union and Reading cinemas are appealing for a temporary exemption to an Australian Human Rights Commission proposal to increase the number of movies that must have captioning for the hearing impaired.The number of cinemas showing movies suitable for the hearing impaired is woeful. Take last week for example. No Hoyts or Greater Union theatre was playing a captioned movie in Victoria. Village was showing one M-rated movie for just three sessions. Because of its rating, it cannot be seen by children.The commission has also reduced the time period in which to comment against the cinema chains' demand for an exemption from six to four weeks. Discrimination against Australians with a disability is unfair and cinema chains must be held accountable.Gurdeesh Kaur, East MelbourneEquality a mustTHE application by Village Roadshow, Greater Union, Hoyts and Reading Cinemas requesting exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act for 2 years is concerning.This means that Australians who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and vision-impaired stand to lose their right to complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission about the lack of provision of captioning and audio description at any of the 125 cinemas (1182 screens) owned by these four exhibitors.It is about time that it was recognised in the Australian public sector that people with disabilities deserve the same access and rights as those who are still enjoying life without disabilities.Equal access is a human right and should be upheld by government and supported by the cinema industry.Gillian Blair, PanmureIf only one is rightTHE front page of The Age ("The faith of the world is in their hands", 5/12) had a good photo series of people who are representing various religions at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne.It is a good thing that the PWR promotes freedom of religion, diversity and tolerance.But has anyone got these people together and pointed out that as they all believe in different and mutually exclusive gods, that means, at most only one of them can be right and the rest are wasting their time?Tanya Smith, ArmadaleMusic must play onRAYMOND Gill ("To save the VCA, critics of the merger should work with the review, not against it", The Age, 2/12) argues for a reasoned response to the discussion paper on the future of the VCA and the music faculty recently released by the University of Melbourne.Gill's article, like most of the debate on this subject, and the discussion paper itself, focuses on the former VCA and on performance training. It ignores the long and illustrious contribution to Australian society made by the former faculty of music, which, since its foundation in 1894, has produced some of Australia's foremost composers, performers and scholars, and has come to be regarded as Australia's leading music research institution.We are concerned that amid the clamour to "save the VCA", this tradition has been overlooked, jeopardising the university's high reputation for music education and scholarship.Professors Richard Divall, John Griffiths, Denise Grocke; Associate Professor Kerry Murphy; Doctors Sue Cole, Stuart Greenbaum, Jennifer Hill, Katrina McFerran, Linda Kouvaras, Janice Stockigt, Peter Tregear, Therese Radic; and Michael Loftus-Hills, University of MelbourneIt's a Greens cardTHE ALP should not presume that the 24 per cent swing to the Greens in Higgins is a result only of the void produced by its absence. I don't know a single person who thinks the polluter-paying emissions trading scheme will do anything for the planet, nor anyone not appalled by the dominance of medieval climate-deniers in the Coalition.People are desperate for a scientifically informed climate policy that aggressively reduces carbon outputs and delivers an inhabitable planet to our children. Both major parties will ignore the Greens at their peril at the next election.Nina Philadelphoff-Puren, OakleighVote 1 for meIF POLITICIANS spoke the truth, Tony Abbott's and Kelly O'Dwyer's statements regarding the Higgins and Bradfield byelection results would run something like this: "These results confirm the long-held view that the average Liberal voter's fundamental concern is self-interest. Policy that addresses the common good, such as effective action on climate change, is, quite simply, irrelevant."William Hardiker, ThornburySchool success, even without a big budgetTHANK you, Michael Kirby (Comment, 4/12), for acknowledging that there are many students achieving outstanding results in the state system.Thank you for speaking out about how poorly funded and under-resourced these schools are, while religious and so-called independent schools grow bigger and literally greener on government money.You are right, it's time those in the media and government took note, and made sure that the future Nobel prize winners, teachers, tradies, journalists, hospitality workers and doctors that my colleagues and I am teaching are not learning in under-resourced, physically sub-standard conditions.Although no one I've taught in my ordinary regional secondary college has yet won a Nobel prize, I have taught multiple students with ENTERs in the state's top 1 per cent; I've taught students who are now doctors and lawyers, journalists and photographers; and I'm proud that I've taught many of the tradies who organise my electrics, plumbing, internet and half of my life (or I'm teaching their kids).Still, people like Bruce King (Letters, 5/12) believe the myth that a good education cannot be had in a school like this. As Michael Kirby says, those people are wrong, and it's time the funding allowed us to provide great state education in decent facilities, with decent resources.Alison Smith, SheppartonCitizens uniteTHANK you, Michael Kirby, for your wise words and advocacy for public schools. If only there were more like you.Almost as pleasing was the reference to us as citizens (such a relief not to be a consumer).Julia Cernaz, KingsvilleWorking togetherto bring justiceRECENT articles in The Age ("Second priest in sex claim tip-off", 3/12, and "Catholic archbishop to contact police over church abuse tip-offs", 4/12) concerning the Melbourne archdiocese's handling of sexual abuse cases have cast doubt upon the probity and actions of the archdiocese's independent commissioner, Peter O'Callaghan, and his relationships with Victoria Police.It was claimed Mr O'Callaghan's actions have cut across the work of detectives investigating sexual abuse cases and compromised their inquiries. There was no mention that Mr O'Callaghan had addressed the police concerns and provided them with a comprehensive explanation of his actions, to which the police responded "you have explained it well".I am fully supportive of Mr O'Callaghan in his role as independent commissioner. In 13 years of investigating allegations of sexual abuse, he has always co-operated with Victoria Police. At the outset of an investigation, he reminds complainants of their continuing and unfettered right to report allegations of criminal conduct to the police.Let me assure the community that Mr O'Callaghan has the support and encouragement of the Melbourne archdiocese in his investigations. I trust that he and Victoria Police will continue to work together to bring all victims of sexual abuse a full measure of natural justice.Denis J. Hart, Archbishop of MelbourneDigging inI SEE that Jo Weeks (Letters, 5/12) of the Linking Melbourne Authority attempts to dodge the question about Westlink, saying that Sir Rod Eddington €” author of the Victorian transport plan €” claims that "it is possible to build the road without major property acquisition".The public, including affected residents of the western suburbs, want to know €” from the horse's mouth €” just how MLA can build "a tunnel linking Dynon Road and Footscray Road in the Port of Melbourne precinct with Geelong Road and Sunshine Road in West Footscray" with "upgrades to Sunshine Road, Dempster Street and Paramount Road" without acquiring any residential properties.Many continue to be alert and alarmed at reputable estimates that 1000 houses will go in the tunnel invasion of Footscray and Sunshine.Elizabeth Jackson, Fitzroy
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